Here is Frank & Chris Remley’s story from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada:

“The teaching on El Shaddai helped us to step out of the daily grind as a means of earning a living and to trust God to supply through a more entrepreneurial route. Prior to this, my income was largely based on the formula: “hours worked” equals “income received.” We knew God had to have another way. As we learned more of God’s heart to bless His people, we grew confident in His leading to step out of our comfort zone and into a new business—house building. We definitely have more financial risk, but also have more opportunity to see God’s hand of blessing.

What can we say? He has been more than faithful! Our income in the first half year in this endeavor was more than double the previous half year’s income. And not only did we experience the God of more than enough, but in our endeavor, we also experienced Jehovah Jireh, the God of miracles. The first two houses we built sold the same day, less than a week before Christmas, after only a couple of weeks on the market. God is good!”

Why does Frank call Jehovah Jireh the God of Miracles? Let me explain. If you have been around Christians for any length of time, you have probably heard someone at a point of financial need boldly declare, “My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory.”1 I have prayed this prayer many times for myself.

The phrase “My God shall supply all of your needs” is a direct quote from Paul writing to the Christians in Philippi. The idea was originally introduced in an Old Testament story of Abraham and his son Isaac where God is called Jehovah Jireh. The term Jehovah Jireh is another one of the Hebrew names for God which means, “The Lord will provide.”

If we read the story in Genesis, we find that Abraham was told to offer his son as a sacrifice. In obedience, Abraham took his son along to the place of sacrifice. But at the last moment, it was revealed that this was only a test and Abraham’s son Isaac should not be offered as a sacrifice. The actual offering was provided in the form of a ram caught in a thicket. This miraculous situation was used as an opportunity to introduce the children of Israel to an aspect of God’s nature. He is Jehovah Jireh, the God who makes provision for all of our needs.

Before I understood God as El Shaddai, just getting my needs met was the precise revelation I had of God in the area of finances. I believed, prayed and expected this many times—that God would provide all of my needs. Do you know what I discovered? God met our every need all of those years when we believed for His provision only.

The problem was, there was never anything left over. We had our needs met, but just barely, with 32 cents remaining at the end of the month. So when I learned about El Shaddai, I stopped asking for just enough and started to ask for more than enough.

1.  Philippians 4:19